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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/30128433">With A Little Compromise</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/UlisaBarbic/pseuds/UlisaBarbic'>UlisaBarbic</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Dragon Ball</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Child Soldiers, Dysfunctional Family, Family Feels, Family Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Growing Up, Kid Son Gohan, Light Angst, Maturing, Mother-Son Relationship, chichi is a good mom, letting go</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-03-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-16 02:49:08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,789</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/30128433</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/UlisaBarbic/pseuds/UlisaBarbic</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>After the return from Namek, as they wait for Goku to return, both mother and son realize things won’t be the same as they were. It’s going to take a bit of compromise from both of them.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Chi-Chi &amp; Son Gohan</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>28</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>With A Little Compromise</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I don’t need your help, Mom.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">ChiChi paused in mid motion, turning from the bath with the faucet still in hand. Gohan had just come home from Namek and while her heart ached that Goku wasn’t home yet, at least she had her little boyback! That eased the pain of waiting a bit.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">So did routine. That had become ChiChi’s rock. A routine, something that was the same every day. With Gohan home, it seemed only natural that such a thing would help him too.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">So, why was he looking at her like that?</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Sweetie, I know you’ve grown a lot in the past year but you’re still only five.” She smiled, hiding her distress when Gohan moved back. “Now, c’mon. We’ll get the bath done then you and I can read together for bed, okay?”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I don’t need you to help me, Mom.” He repeated himself, with a bit more vigor. “I can do it myself.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">A pang, almost like a gunshot, took ChiChi’s heart. No. No. So much had changed. So much had happened but this...no.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“You’re five.” Her response felt oddly robotic, as if she were reciting a practiced reply rather than a genuine one. “Five year olds still need help from Mommy and Daddy.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“_I_ don’t.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Frustration boiled in ChiChi. “Look, Gohan. You’ve been through a lot. We’ve both been through a lot and I know you’re upset that your Daddy isn’t home yet. But some of the rules we had before Piccolo took you still apply. You have to take a bath and you’re too young for me to leave alone. Now, come on. Let’s not end the night on a sour note.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Seeing he wasn’t going to win this fight, Gohan relented. But he took the shampoo from her hands, wrestled the faucet away when he could and said nothing the entire time.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">ChiChi ached.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Wasn’t it wise to not leave a five year old alone? They could easily hit their head, slip under. And what five year old knew how to effectively clean themselves?</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Well, hers, apparently. Ever since he’d slipped into the water and all but snatched the soap from her, she barely had time to comment. He was scrubbing, rinsing and not saying so much as a word in her direction. He also wasn’t playing. Some of her and Goku’s favorite things had been listening to their son play in the water but he did none of that.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Standing up, Gohan snatched the towel from the rack and remarked “Done.” He moved from her when she went to help and said, “I know how to dry off, Mom.” He proceeded to flare his ki, resulting in a very fast dry though he still ruffled the towel through his hair, dropped it in the laundry bag and dressed in his pajamas. “Told you I didn’t need help.” He said, rather sharply as he left the room.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">ChiChi stood there, hand still on the faucet a moment more before following. She slipped into his room where he’d crawled into bed and settled into his pillow.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I’m sorry you don’t like some of the rules, Gohan but they’re there for a reason.” She began but Gohan set her with such a dark glare her words clogged in her throat.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“And rules change, Mom. They change when they need to change. But you don’t wanna accept that _I_ changed.” He turned onto his side, casting his back to her. “You don’t wanna let me. So just leave me alone.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">ChiChi stopped. Her hand had automatically gone for the book on his bedside. That had been a rock solid routine since he was a baby. No matter what, he always wanted a story at night. “Gohan, sweetie...”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Don’t wanna story right now, Mom.” Came his ruffled answer. “I’ll see you in the morning. Just leave me alone.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The repeat of ‘leave me alone’ cut so deep. They’d been apart for so long with only those brief few weeks when he went to Namek. Wasn’t he supposed to be eating up being home and being with her again?</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She replaced the book, leaned over and kissed his temple. “Alright, Gohan. If you change your mind, I’ll be reading in bed.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She closed the door quietly.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Gohan waited until she left before heaving a deep sob. This wasn’t fair. He WAS glad to be home and he HAD missed her. So much it hurt and he remembered lying awake in the wilderness, wanting nothing more than to be back in her arms.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">But he wasn’t her helpless baby anymore. He hadn’t been for a long time. Why did she keep trying to push it on him? Wasn’t she proud of him? Wasn’t ...didn’t she see how he didn’t need all the help he used to need? Or was she ignoring that on purpose?</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Such a thought was not outside the range of possibility and he scowled and writhed at it. But he also cried because this had to be hard on her too! But why couldn’t she smile and be proud like Daddy had done?</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Burying his face into his pillow, Gohan fell into a troubled sleep.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">OOO</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">ChiChi woke before Gohan as she usually did and ventured down to the kitchen. The darkness of the room was a familiar loneliness. Normally, Goku would be awake and if he wasn’t doing exercises outside, he’d be in the kitchen doing some kind of push-up or something by the corner. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">But he was still lost in space.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">It was just her and Gohan.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Sitting at the table, she took a cup of coffee and stared into it, eyes of weariness reflected back at her.Maybe it had been naive of her to assume they could just go back to how things were without any change. After all, she still didn’t know everything Gohan had been through though what she had been told made her red with anger. She knew he hadn’t told her everything and no matter what she tried, he wouldn’t budge on it.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">It wasn’t fair. Her son was young, barely more than a baby. There had been no right for anyone to take him and thrust him into this war. War was the domain of adults!</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Or at least it used to be.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">ChiChi sighed. Goku was so good at helping her understand when she became overwhelmed emotionally. He was her anchor. Now, she needed that more than ever but he wasn’t here. She would have to deal with this storm on her own and she really didn’t know if she could.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Every time she looked at Gohan, her heart ached again, remembering when she first found out he was gone. The pain she’d felt that no one—not even Krillin whom she trusted the most out of Goku’s group—had bothered to tell her what happened to her son and husband. What kind of friends did that?!</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Though, she did have to acknowledge she could be a bit...overbearing. But that wasn’t a good reason to leave her hanging like that! They could have told her...something! Anything!</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Then there was Piccolo.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Her heart burned with a deep hate for that Namekian. She’d never liked him and his attempted murder of her husband when they became engaged had been enough. But now she finds out that he took her son and forced him into a battle? She doubted she’d ever forgive him. He could burn in hell for all the thought she would give to it.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">But not her Gohan. He’d really latched on to him, enough that he was willing to defy her to get him back.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Her heart sank a bit. When was her Gohan EVER willing to defy her? Or his father? It had always been like they were these infallible idols for him and all she need to was speak and she could cast away all the worries of the world. Any nightmares immediately fled at the mere sight of Goku. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">But her Gohan defied her, accused her of being cold and declared he would go to Namek, her wishes be damned.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s2">Growing up is equal parts pain and pleasure</span>
  <span class="s1">.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Her Pa had told her that when they’d first shared with him that she was pregnant. She’d not really taken it to heart but it carried so much weight now. As much as she wanted to wallow in denial, her Gohan had begun to grow up. Faster and well before the time he should have but naught to be done for that. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He’d been given independence by force and now no force on earth or heaven could undo it.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Folding her arms on the table, ChiChi buried her face and sobbed, quietly. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">This wasn’t how it was supposed to go. She and Goku were supposed to let Gohan go a little bit at a time—a new responsibility here, a wee bit more of letting go there. Gradual.Bit by bit over the years.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">But he had been wretched from them and all lines cut forcefully and no matter how she tried and longed and begged, Gohan refused to retie them.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">And really? Should he have to? Would she have been so ready to go back to a more restructure expectation after she’d been given a taste for making her own decisions? She couldn’t honestly say yes.So why was she expecting her son to do it?</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Because she wanted him to stay a little boy. She wanted him to still be the naive and innocent child that hid behind her skirts from dragonflies. She wanted all the killing and fear and dangers to remain the shadows of nightmares that she could sent fleeing with a glance.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">But she couldn’t. Not anymore. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Mom?”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">A hand fell on her left arm and she lifted her head abruptly. Turning, rubbing at her wet eyes, her sight fell on Gohan, still in his pajamas and looking more than slightly upset. His own eyes looked like they might pool up at any moment. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Mom, are you cryin’ ‘cause of last night? I didn’t wanna make you sad but I was sad abs mad and...and...I’m sorry if it hurt you.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Warmth spread through her chest. That was her Gohan, always looking out for other people. Putting others’ feelings before his own. And that was a wonderful strength he had. But as ChiChi looked at him, she ached for the boy to be able to just worry about what HE felt. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Reaching out a hand, ChiChi gently stroked his hair back from his face. “Oh, sweetie. I am sad but I shouldn’t be sad or angry at you. You are still little but you’re right too. You have grown and you don’t....need me as much anymore.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Gohan but his lip. “I’m sorry, Mom. It’s not that I wanna make you sad. I don’t. But...I...aren’t you proud of what I can do?”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Proud? Proud that he knew how to fight? Proud that he plunged headlong into intergalactic travel when he should have been coloring at home? Proud that he came back to her bloody and bruised?</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Gohan’s face fell. “You’re not happy. You’re not proud.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Baby, it’s not that. It’s...” ChiChi sighed, trying to find her words. “How can I be proud of something you shouldn’t have been forced into to begin with? You should have been home with me and your Daddy—not off on some life threatening battle in space.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Gohan groaned. This was a common complaint. He’d heard his parents at odds about it in the hospital. Apparently, Daddy adjusted a little easier than Mom. So, as frustrating and irritating as it was, he tried to calm his heart. To understand. “I know. But I was. We weren’t supposed to have all this stuff Mom but it happened. So I just...went with it. Aren’t you...proud of that?”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Smiling, despite the tears in her eyes, ChiChi stood from the chair, fell to her knees and hugged her son as tight as she could. “So proud I could burst, baby. So proud. You shouldn’t have had to. None of this was right! But...look at you.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She sat back, trembling. Holding her son at arms’ length, she swallowed the lump in her throat. “Sweetie, look at you. How strong you’ve gotten. How brave you are. How...” Tears fell down her cheeks. “I look at you sometimes and I can’t believe it. How much you’ve grown in so short a time.” She rubbed at her eyes. “I don’t mean to...” Sighing heavily, she said. “Baby, you didn’t hear me and your father talking after you got discharged from the hospital.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Was Daddy sad too?” It seemed hard to imagine but...</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“He was. We’re proud of you, Gohan but you have to think from our viewpoint.” She took hold of his hands. “You’re our son. Our only son. And you’ve been the center of our lives. We’re so used to handling everything for you. Making sure that you’re safe. Making sure you’re happy. Making sure you’re not afraid. And before...we had control over that. Because you were at home. Our little home was all you knew and that was...that was safe. Because nothing came in that we weren’t aware of.” Shaking her head, she gently took Gohan’s face in her hands. “We controlled it. But that control is gone now. I don’t know what’s coming. I don’t know what might be out there that can hurt you. And if I don’t know then I...I can’t protect you.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Gohan hugged her suddenly. “Mom. You can’t protect me from everything. You’ve never been able to. I coulda gotten hurt on the mountain. Would you just keep me wrapped up in a bubble?”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“If I thought it would keep you safe—“</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“But I wouldn’t be happy.” He answered. “Mom, we don’t grow if we aren’t challenged. If I’m scared, I learn. If I’m frustrated, I learn. And that’s how I get better. That’s why I want to...I want you to let me grow.”He bit his lip. “I’m sorry if it makes you sad but not letting me grow makes ME sad.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">ChiChi sighed heavily. “I know. Your Daddy told me something similar. He was sad, said he wished you could stay little and safe. But he also smiled and looked forward to seeing what you’d become. He’s always been able to transition easier than me. He weeps for what he loses then grabs onto the next good thing. I guess he just made you’re growing his next good thing. I guess...forgive your mom for wanting to keep you little as long as I can. Feeling like I can still protect you and provide for you and care for you...I guess it’s a little touch of control that...in this crazy world, any control I have can means so much.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Gohan took these in. He processed it. “I’m sorry it had to happen like this, Mom. I bet it would have been so much easier if we let me grow up the regular way.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Most certainly.” She shook her head and finally laughed. “I know it would have been easier for me.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Gohan nodded and hugged her again.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“We’ll...we’ll look at the rules today, Gohan.” She promised. “We’ll...change what we can. But not all of them. I can’t do that....I just can’t.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Compromise. That seemed to make sense. After all, wasn’t that what adults did all the time? Wasn’t it...adult to compromise?</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Okay, Mom. You know...I might know how to hunt and cook but it’s nothin’ compared to what you can do. Could...you make one of your old breakfasts...with the fun shapes?”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">ChiChi’s heart nearly exploded. It was a small thing, a little thing but it was something she could still do for her son that he couldn’t do on his own. The tiny things, the little things.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Give and take though. Give and take.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I think I can do that. I’ll need some fresh fish though and without your father here...” she trailed off purposely. “Say, I bet you’ve learned how to fish, haven’t you?”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Grinning, the boy nodded with fervor. “I can! Almost as good as Daddy!”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“That good?” She rolled her sleeves up. “Well, then I’m expecting a lovely fish to boil up this morning. Go...show me what you can do.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“You bet, Mom!” He rushed out of the house with nary a second thought, giving a whoop of joy so reminiscent of his father as he went. “You’ll see, Mom! You’ll see!”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">As she watched him go, the dark sadness was still there but blooming alongside it was the warmth of pride. “Yes. Yes, I will.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p>
  </div></div>
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